


Castiel's Siblings

by destiel88



Series: Fantasynatural [4]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Blood Drinking, Fantasynatural, Multi, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-19
Updated: 2014-01-28
Packaged: 2018-01-09 07:15:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1143079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/destiel88/pseuds/destiel88
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of stories that introduces a few of Castiel's siblings into the story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Uriel

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for my fantasy blog, [Fantasynatural](http://fantasynatural.tumblr.com/). Check out the time line [here](http://fantasynatural.tumblr.com/fictionml). If you want, you can find me on my tumblr, [Destiel88](http://destiel88.tumblr.com/).

It was a bright morning in the Sundia Marketplace. The merchants worked hard opening their tiny stalls, stocking them to the brim with everything from gold trinkets to fresh produce from the farms. Townsfolk scurried about, some waiting for the stalls to open while others walked briskly through the streets with determined expressions.

Castiel sat at the center water fountain watching all of them curiously. He munched quietly on a bag of candied fruits given to him by a group he frequently saw traveling through the square. They comprised of a Shadow Orc named Ed and his adopted Elf sister, Maggie. There was another Shadow Orc, Harry; two humans, Spruce and Ambyr; and the Earth spirit Corbett. The group always stopped by before they went to take their Hunting test. He believed that this was the forty-sixth time they applied.

The hours ticked away as Castiel watched humanity. He smiled softly as he watched the children play, kicking a small ball around as they weaved through the crowd. Suddenly, a shiver ran through him as an ominous presence loomed behind him.

Turning around and expecting to see Ed, Castiel’s eyes widened slightly to see a dark-skinned man standing to his right. He wore a black doublet with a high, white collar. Over that, he had on a dark hooded cloak that hid the silver sword at his side well. His posture was straight and stiff as he stared at Castiel with a dark gaze. In addition, Castiel could see the outline of a halo above his head and translucent wings that were just as stiff as his posture. He recognized the other angel as his brother and friend, Uriel.

Castiel glanced around to see if anyone had noticed. While Uriel had hidden his wings, he had still appeared out of nowhere. However, no one was looking at them. That didn’t stop Castiel from grabbing his brother’s elbow and forcing him into the nearest alley, away from prying eyes.

“You’ve gone native,” Uriel said, ripping his elbow out of Castiel’s hand.

“Are you here to kill me?” Castiel asked with a threatening tone.

Uriel chuckled softly. “Kill you, Castiel? What reason would I have to kill you, besides disobeying a direct order, becoming corrupted by the Darkness, and living among humans?”

“None, if we’re excluding those offenses,” he said while narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

“We’re friends. You’re my brother. Can’t I show concern?”

“There is no need for concern. I am perfectly capable of fending for myself.”

“But there is, Castiel. You surround yourself with these mud monkeys-”

“Mortals.”

“There’s no difference. They crawl and squirm in their filth. They surround themselves with meaningless objects. Just because you can’t return to Heaven, doesn’t mean you can’t still carry out missions. I could speak with Zachariah. You could be involved with our work.”

Castiel shook his head. “No. I’m sorry Uriel, but I have made my decision. Dean is my mission. He has and always will be.”

“You like him,” Uriel sneered.

“Of course,” Castiel said, his gaze dropping to the floor for a moment. “That doesn’t change my decision, though. I want to stay here.”

“If that is your decision-”

“It is.”

Uriel’s lip curled in disgust, but he didn’t say anything as his wings unfurled. With one flap, Uriel disappeared. Castiel sighed deeply once he was gone and walked out of the alley. He looked over at his usual spot at the fountain then down at the candied fruits. Pocketing the fruit, Castiel simply walked away.


	2. Anna

Through the darkness of the night, Castiel stared across the room at the dresser. He didn’t need sleep or his own room, but Ellen had insisted on giving him one anyway. She said that he had worked hard, helped do her a “solid” on their latest hunting mission with an angry spirit.

As he sat, he listened to the world around him, but the Roadhouse was mostly quiet. He could hear Ash in the next room working feverishly on his odd mechanical machines. Down the hall, Jo was sneaking out the window. She slowly opened it as if that would prevent Ellen from hearing the sharp creak that rang through the inn.

Sam had snuck out, too. He had been used the backdoor after Ellen had entered the basement, possibly to get another keg to tap. Castiel heard Ruby’s trident whooshing through the air a moment later. The sound was easy to miss unless one was used to it.

For most of the night, Dean had been downstairs, drinking and celebrating with the other hunters in the bar. Now, though, Castiel could hear him steadily climbing up the stairs with another person in tow. Sam was out with Ruby, so it had to be a girl that he met at the bar below.

Castiel carefully got out of bed and padded softly to the door, opening it a crack. Ever since Dean had accidentally invited a siren into his bed, Castiel made sure to check each girl so the same mistake wouldn’t happen again. However, when the woman came into view, Castiel clenched his jaw.

The woman was the spitting image of the vessel his sister, Anna, had taken before she had been killed in battle. She had the same long, red hair, and the same pale green eyes. Her face was a bit thinner than he remembered. Anna was also wasn’t wearing her battle armor, and instead she wore a white tunic under a dark blue dress with a tight, green vest that matched her eyes.

“Anna,” he called out to her.

Anna’s head snapped to him, but her eyes narrowed in confusion. “How do you know my name? Do I know you?”

“Dude,” Dean said, “can’t you see I’m a little busy here? Pull your Angel mind tricks somewhere else.”

“Dean, my sister,” Castiel said. “Remember my sister, Anna, the one who had this position before me.”

“The dead one?”

Castiel nodded his head, and Dean’s eyes flickered awkwardly to the woman beside him. Dean smiled politely at Anna as he slowly stepped away from her. He kept his demeanor calm even though Castiel could see the panic hidden in his eyes.

“Excuse us for a minute,” Dean said to her.

Anna looked confused, but she nodded her head anyway. “Take all the time you want.”

With her consent, Dean was rushing into Castiel’s room, slamming the door behind him. He rubbed his hand over his face as he moved further into the room. Castiel followed him, tilting his head to the side.

“You’re sure she’s dead, right?” Dean asked quietly.

“Yes, Anna is dead,” Castiel said. “I saw her fall myself.”

“So, is that a zombie? Revenant? It better not be another siren, because twice in one lifetime is way too much.”

Castiel frowned. “No. It’s odd, but she seemed… human.”

“Human? You mean like normal, or do you mean like not an Angel?”

“I mean like not an Angel, but she looks exactly like her. I’d never mistake her for anyone else. I know it’s her.”

“No, I trust you, buddy. If you say it’s her then it’s her, but how?”

“If I knew, Dean, I would tell you.”

“Great, well, we’ll circle the wagons, do some research, but right now, first things first, I’ve got to send this girl home.”

“Why? I confirmed she was human.”

“I’m not going to sleep with your dead sister!”

“I see your point,” he said. “Just let her down gently. If she is aware, I don’t want to tip her off that we know.”

“Yeah, yeah, I always do,” Dean said, waving his hand flippantly.

Dean took in a breath, easily plastering on a smile before he left the room to return to Anna. As Dean broke their date, Anna’s eyes kept flickering to Castiel, who was watching from the doorway. She smiled and nodded her head, all while staring at Castiel. As she left, Castiel crossed his arms in front of his chest. Without even opening a book, he could tell that their research would be fruitless.


	3. Samandriel

The Spring Equinox Festival was already in full swing by the time Castiel and Dean arrived. Castiel had never been to a festival before, so Dean had offered to take him. Sam was supposed to go with them, but he had canceled last minute, leaving Dean to lead Castiel around the streets on his own.

Dean watched Castiel’s face as they made their way through the crowded streets. Castiel seemed at peace, his eyes flickering from the spirit lights that floated overhead to the booths that had replaced the usual stalls. Dean found that he couldn’t help but smile broadly while he continued to watch him.

They stopped at every booth they saw. Castiel’s favorites seemed to be the game booths as he was particularly skilled at them. The last one they visited was the goldfish ball toss. The game was simple, toss a wooden ball into one of the glass tanks and win a prize. The wood ball was heavy, and most were falling short, but Castiel’s landed right into the tank, winning him a fish.

As they walked through the crowds, Castiel held the small, glass tank he had won up to his eye as he watched the goldfish swim around inside of it. Dean snorted in amusement and readjusted the large, plush cat underneath his arm. They had several more, but Castiel had given them away to passing children, leaving only this one.

“You know we can’t keep it,” Dean said to him. “The rocking of the caravan will slosh the water.”

“I know,” Castiel said. “I was just remembering something from the past.”

“Really? What?”

“The day the Mortals crawled out of the ocean and onto the land. I remember Father brought us all there to celebrate the event as his labors had finally reached fruition. I almost stepped on one of you.”

“Oh,” Dean said. “That’s nice…”

Castiel went back to watching the fish, leaving Dean’s attention to wander. His eyes gazed at the stalls, trying to determine which ones they hadn’t stopped at when Dean caught sight of something familiar. He looked again and saw a young man with light brown hair in the same armor that Castiel always wore. He didn’t have wings, but Castiel told him that uncorrupted Angels had the ability to hide them.

“Hey,” Dean said, elbowing Castiel. “Do you know him?”

Dean pointed at the Angel who was currently gazing over small sun masks, turning each one over in his hand curiously. Castiel nearly dropped the fish when his eyes landed on the Angel. He instantly began moving through the crowd, not even waiting for Dean to begin following along.

“Samandriel!” Castiel called out as they neared. “Samandriel!”

Samandriel’s head turned, revealing blue eyes almost as bright as Castiel’s. The two of them quickly embraced, all while the fish in his hand sloshed around, nearly forgotten about. When the two parted, Dean took the poor fish then did what Castiel had done with the other plush toys and handed it to the first kid he saw.

“Castiel,” Samandriel said cheerfully, “I was looking for you when I got distracted by these wonderful masks”. He held out the mask he had been holding to Castiel. “Look at the quality. Mortals truly are amazing.”

“You were looking for Cas?” Dean asked suspiciously.

“Dean,” Castiel said, “I trained Samandriel. He is good and can be trusted.”

“No, Castiel,” Samandriel said. “He doesn’t know me, and if he is aware of Angelic law then he has every right not to trust me. I swear to you, though, I’m not here to harm him. I had a free day and thought I would visit.”

“Thank you, Samandriel, but Dean and I are in the middle of something important.”

“Oh!” Samandriel exclaimed. “Are you in the middle of the human ritual called a ‘date’?”

Dean blushed. “No way! We’re here as just friends. In fact, you came all this way, why don’t you join us?”

Samandriel grinned widely. “Can I?”

“Yeah, sure,” Dean said with a shrug. “No skin off my nose.”

“Thank you. That’s very kind of you.”

Samandriel went to put the mask in his hand back, but Dean stopped him. Dean placed a few coins on the counter, buying the mask. Looking down, Samandriel shook his head and tried to hand it to Dean.

“I got it for you,” Dean said. “Keep it.”

“I’m not allowed,” Samandriel said with a frown.

“Just for the night then,” he insisted.

Dean took the mask and placed it sideways on Samandriel’s head. The smile returned to Samandriel’s face as he reached up a hand to touch the mask. Castiel was also grinning widely, which made Dean squirm awkwardly.

“Thank you,” Samandriel said sincerely.

“Yeah, don’t mention it.”

After that, they walked around the festival with Samandriel. His eyes were wide as he gazed over everything, as apparently, he had never been outside of the Heaven or the battlefield. However, Dean found it actually entertaining as Samandriel had a renewed energy that Dean hadn’t seen since Sam was a kid.

The evening wore on, and soon, the shops were beginning to close and the streets emptying to take the festival to quarters that are more private. Samandriel took the mask off his head and handed it back to Dean. He smiled softly, bowing his head slightly.

“Thank you,” he said. “This is a day I’ll never forget.”

Dean opened his mouth to reply, but Samandriel was already gone. Glancing down at the mask, Dean turned it over in his hand. He wasn’t exactly sure what to do with it.

“Thank you,” Castiel said. “It was nice to spend time with my brother again.”

“I didn’t mind having him around,” Dean admitted. “If he ever wants to come back, this mask will be waiting for him.”

Castiel smiled and nodded his head. “Again, thank you.”

“Whatever,” he said. “Come on. Ellen is having an afterhour’s party at the Roadhouse, and I don’t want to miss it.”

Castiel nodded his head again, and they began walking off towards the Roadhouse. Dean glanced over at Castiel, who was gazing up at the sky. He smiled, glad that Castiel had enjoyed himself at the festival.


	4. Balthazar

Rain pounded steadily against the roof of the Impala as the Angel and two Hunters worked. Sam sat on his bed researching. It had once been John’s, but when Sam began to grow at alarming rates, they had switched. In the other room, Dean worked with Castiel. They were carefully melting down silver, making them into arrowheads to place on the tips of their crossbow bolts.

They worked quickly and efficiently even though they currently weren’t on a case. It was just something to do while they stopped for the night in the middle of nowhere. The rain had begun while Dean was setting up a shelter for the horses, so he had been crabby, keeping everyone else awake as he dried.

Dean was about to move onto the next arrowhead when a gust of wind burst through the Impala, putting out the fire. He looked at Castiel, who shook his head, and pointed behind him. Turning in his seat, Dean saw a tall, blond man with a short beard sipping elegantly from a wine glass. He looked out of place in the plain wooden caravan since he was wearing an embroidered, gray tunic that was open widely to reveal his chest. Another noticeable attribute were the large, white wings jutting out from his back.

“Balthazar,” Castiel greeted blandly.

“Cassie,” Balthazar said, a bit more lively. “Oh, it’s been ages. How are you?”

“Busy.”

“Is that any way to treat a guest? I came all this way for a visit. You could at least pour me another glass of wine, pull up a chair for me.”

“You only come around when you want something.”

“That’s not true.” He paused. “Well, maybe it is, but I truly did pop in to say hello first before I got down to business.”

“What’s going on?” Sam asked.

Sam was now standing in the doorway that led from the bedroom to the work area, looking out at Balthazar. Tucking in his wings, Balthazar turned to face Sam before making his wings disappear completely. He gave Sam a wink while taking a sip of his drink.

“The answer to your prayers,” Balthazar answered.

“He is my nest brother. We also were in the same garrison,” Castiel explained. “He disappeared shortly after I went into Hell. Balthazar deserted.”

Frowning, Balthazar said, “I thought you’d be proud of me. I was only following your example, bettering myself and living amongst Father’s creations, just like you.”

Dean snorted. “You don’t exactly look like a salt of the land type of guy.”

“Just because I like to enjoy a little luxury doesn’t make me a bad person. If you could, wouldn’t you trade all this for an upgrade?”

“Ye-” Sam began, but Dean quickly interrupted him.

“No way in Hell,” he said. “I would never trade the Impala in for anything. She’s family!”

Balthazar shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

“Can you please get down to business?” Castiel asked him.

“Ah, yes, business,” he said, taking a swig of his wine glass. “I can do that. The little chateau I’m ‘borrowing’ for the weekend may or not be housing a God Weapon.”

“God Weapon?” Dean asked. “Cas, isn’t that what you said Jerry used to control that one fairy, Gilda?”

Castiel nodded his head. “Yes, it was Metatron’s Arcane Novel. I’m sure of it now.” He turned his gaze to Balthazar. “How can you be sure that it’s a God Weapon, and if it is, why can’t you take of it yourself?”

“I would if I could,” Balthazar said with a sigh, “but ever since Luci decided to take that dive into insanity, they’ve been warded against Angels apparently. I can’t touch the thing. Imagine that. What’s the world coming to where you can’t trust an Angel?”

“Yeah, imagine that,” Dean drawled. “Doesn’t explain why we have to be the ones to take care of it for you.”

“Only Father or the Righteous Man can destroy a ‘God Weapon’,” Castiel said. “You alone are pure enough to stab the weapon and survive.”

“Right. Grand destiny. Almost forgot about that.”

“So,” Balthazar said, “if we could leave today, that would be nice.”

Castiel frowned. “We can’t walk in there blindly. Do you know what weapon it is so that we can be prepared?”

“Staff of Moses,” he said with a small eye roll. “It’s been raining frogs for weeks now.”

Dean made a face. “Who the Hell is Moses?”

“Never you worry your pretty head about the details. All I need is for you to come over, make the frogs and locusts go away then you can go about your business. Simple as that.”

Looking over at Sam, Dean asked, “Do we trust him?”

Sam sighed. “I don’t think we should, but locusts are bad for crops, and we need as much food as we can get, so if there’s something that can spawn them, we should take care of it.”

“That’s true. I guess we’re in then.”

“Perfect,” Balthazar said. “Mind if I zap you there? It’s all the way in Tal and trips to Edlund are so expensive this time of year.”

Sam and Dean both turned to look at Castiel with serious face. Castiel frowned, his gazing going from his brother to his friends. His eyes fell on the ground when he finally came to his decision, giving Balthazar a small head nod.

Balthazar grinned, and Dean blinked. Suddenly, he wasn’t inside the Impala anymore, but standing in some darkened room. He grabbed for his staff only to remember that he had left it in the bedroom along with his sword to be polished. Thankfully, he hadn’t taken off his ring.

“Light,” he said, holding out his hand.

A small ball of light floated above his palm. It illuminated the small space, showing that they appeared to be in a sealed off room with stone brick walls. With his other hand, he searched the walls to see if there an exit, but he couldn’t feel anything.

“Looking for the door?” he heard Balthazar ask him.

Turning around, a flat panel of light had appeared. It contained Balthazar grinning smugly at him. He gave Dean a wink when he noticed him staring at him.

“What did you do with Sam and Cas?” Dean demanded.

“Your brother and your boyfriend are the least of your concerns, Dean,” he said. “I would be more focused on me ripping your soul out of your body.”

“You sick son of a bitch,” Dean spat. “Why would you even want my soul?”

“I don’t know if you know this, but there is a very lucrative soul market out there. Those who have the souls make the rules as it were. So, like diamonds, souls are graded by clarity, size, and fancy titles that go with it.” Balthazar chuckled. “Your soul is the mother lode, and if I can pluck it from your chest… Well, let’s just say, long live the king.”

Dean growled as the screen cut, leaving Dean alone in the dark. He would have struck out at the wall where it had been if it wasn’t for the sudden drop in the room’s temperature. Bringing the orb up to his mouth, he exhaled to see the white mist expel from his lips.

“Barrier,” he yelled as the first ghoulish figure appeared in the room with him.

The pendent resting against his chest glowed with a soft, blue light as a small barrier erected around him. The ghost slammed into it, its twisted face screaming out as it pounded on the holy barrier. Another came with a face even more twisted than the last then another until it seemed that a dozen or more were pounding and tearing at his magic.

Looking down at the light in his hand, Dean sighed, shaking it out. He raised his palm at the first ghost and summoned a holy light. It vanished but another took its place. Dean cast his light repeatedly until the ring on his finger burned hot, but the ghosts kept coming.

Panting, Dean could see his barrier flickering. He moved towards the wall as ghostly hands slipped in, grabbing for his chest. Taking a deep breath, Dean tried to calm himself as he focused all his power on his right arm.

“Strength,” he called out as light surrounded his arm.

In the next moment, the barrier dropped. He turned his body, punching through the wall. His bones crunched, but the wall also crumbled, allowing him to make a hole through which to make his escape.

There was no light and no way to tell if there was an exit, but Dean kept running. The chill was still around him as he fumbled about, blasting a ghost whenever it got too close. He was beginning to taste blood, but he kept going, running, and hoping.

“Dean!” someone screamed out through the hallway.

Turning, Dean could see Sam and his small light spirit coming towards him. It floated and whizzed around through the ghosts. Unlike Dean’s holy light, Sam’s summon spirit held a current and shocked the ghosts as it whizzed through their energy fields.

“Sammy,” Dean panted. “Damn, is it good to see you. Where’s Cas?”

“I was hoping he’d be with you,” Sam replied with a frown.

“You won’t find your princess anywhere near your current location,” Balthazar said, appearing in the light panel again. “He is with me in the tallest tower. Fight your way to the top to claim your prize. Lose, and your souls are mine.”

Balthazar threw his head back to release a maniacal laugh before the screen cut again. When the screen cut, the floor began to rumble. It cracked and spilt then from the gap several bleached white skeletons rose.

“It’s going to feel so good to gank this bastard,” Dean growled as the skeletons approached.

With his good hand, Dean reached forward, ripped a skeleton’s arm out of its socket, and used it to beat them back. He cleared a path for them under the light of Sam’s summon spirit. It had begun to wander, though, leaving Dean in the dark most of the time.

“The spiritual energy is getting too high,” Sam said. “If I only have my staff, I could make it last for a few more minutes.”

“You don’t, though,” he replied. “Send it away before it wanders too far, or worse, comes back and shocks us instead.”

Sam frowned, his gaze flickering on Dean’s wounded hand, but he sent his spirit away anyway, leaving them in darkness. They pressed forward, though. Eventually, their eyes slowly adjusted to the limited light, seeing the enemy in front of them.

After what seemed like hours, the brothers found a stairway. More skeletons blocked it, but Dean beat them back with his impromptu weapon. They continued like this, Dean making a path for them while Sam knocked back any that approached from the rear.

The brothers were tired and sweaty by the time they came to the solid oak door. Sam pushed to the front and broke it down with his strong legs. Dean burst in after him, ready to beat Balthazar within an inch of his life.

However, suddenly colorful bits of paper exploded from the ceiling as a banner dropped down reading “You did it!” Balthazar stood in front of him, his wings gone but the wine glass remaining. Castiel stood next to him, looking mildly confused as the paper continued to rain.

“What the Hell?” Dean asked, his eyes flickering over the scene.

“It was Balthazar’s idea,” Castiel said. “He wished to ‘test’ your merit.”

Castiel approached Dean, placing a hand on his shoulder. Dean leaned into the touch, not for comfort, but because of what came after. A bright light erupted from Castiel’s hand, healing Dean’s broken one.

“Did you know about this?” Sam asked Castiel.

Castiel shook his head. “I wasn’t made aware of this until after we had been transported by Balthazar. He wished to know if Dean truly was the Righteous Man.”

“And were you convinced?” Dean asked, letting his gaze fall on Balthazar.

“More than,” Balthazar said. “I am on board- What have you been calling it? Oh yes, I am on board team ‘Free Will’ officially now. Feel free to call on me whenever you require my assistance. I like this world a lot, too, you know. I’d be happy to defend it.”

Balthazar held out his hand. Sam took it and shook it cautiously. However, Dean just stared at it for a few moments before knocking it away with a huff.

“I’m not making any promises,” Dean said. “If you want to help, you can help, but if you ever pull shit like this again-”

“Yes, I know. You’ll kill me and make it more painful than I can imagine.” Balthazar waved his hand flippantly, nearly spilling some of his wine. “This isn’t the first time I’ve received a death threat, you know.”

“At least we’re on the same page.”

“Yes, now that the business is out of the way, who is up for a little pleasure?”

When Balthazar winked at him, both Sam and Dean said, “No!”

Balthazar shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

Again, Dean blinked. The rain pounded on his head and a large weight was on his chest. Above him was Castiel, and below him was Sam, caked in mud after landing in a large, muddy puddle.

“I hate your brothers,” Sam said flatly.

“I find myself agreeing,” Castiel said with a sigh.


	5. Gabriel

The ropes were tight around Sam’s wrists as armed guards dragged him to the courtroom. Not that Sam was complaining since he had been in crammed in a cell for nearly three days straight. Only, it seemed like since the moment he came to the island he was going from one fire to the next.

Three days ago, Sam had landed on the main isle in the Speight group with his brother, Dean, and friend, Castiel, after taking a mission to rescue a man who had been lost on the island. However, this had been a trap, and as soon as they found the man described in the job, they had been blindfolded and taken to the cells where they had been locked away.

Then the guards came for him, which was how he ended up here, blindfolded again as he was dragged to what they had told him would be a courtroom. The hallway seemed endless as he moved through it for what seemed like hours. When they stopped finally, his legs were tired and sore, but they forced him to stand anyway.

When they removed the blindfold, Sam could see that he was in some kind of throne room. The room glittered and shined, appearing to be made of pure gold. The people were the same, dressed to their finest as they whispered amongst themselves as if Sam was a performer doing an act instead of a prisoner. They all fell silent as a man on the throne in front of Sam yawned.

The man wore no crown despite being on the throne and was dressed in a deep blue overcoat with gold trimming and buttons. His green sash also had golden trimming. In fact, gold laced every garment the man wore right down to his boots.

Amber eyes turned towards Sam with a dull expression on his narrow face. His light brown hair fell back as he repositioned himself to drape over the armrests of the chair. He snapped his fingers, causing a golden horn to appear in his hands.

The man blew into it once before saying, “I am the great King Loki of the Speight Isles. You have been charged with greed of the worst degree, sailing here with only the reward from your quest in mind. You are also charged with being part-demon and should be put to death before you divulge deeper into the Darkness. How do you plead?”

Sam frowned and said, “Not guilty. I didn’t come here for the reward. There was a man in trouble, and yeah, the reward could help us out, but I would have come even if there wasn’t one. And my horns don’t define me. I thought they did, but they’re a part of me, not the other way around.”

Loki sat up in surprise as the court began to whisper in surprise again. He snapped his fingers, which silenced the crowd instantly. However, a woman with olive skin and flowing dark hair, came forward.

“I thought you said no one could lie in the presence of your conjured horn,” she said.

“They can’t, Kali,” he said, looking down at it in confusion.

“Then you mean to tell me that we are trying an innocent man? Loki, these trials aren’t for your amusement...”

“When has a man ever come up here and not been guilty? He must simply believe he’s innocent. We’ll continue the trial. Bring in the first witness.”

Snapping his fingers, their boat captain, Benny, appeared in front of Loki. He gave Loki a furious gaze with his light blue eyes as he straightened out his floppy pirate hat before placing it squarely back on his head. His wheat blond hair stuck out at odd angles from under it, but that didn’t make him any less threatening as his fangs began to appear.

“You think it’s funny taking away a man’s ship?” Benny growled.

“You’re a key witness in the trial of this man,” Loki said, waving his hand at Sam. “Tell me what he hired you for, and I will set you and your crew free.”

“He was worried,” Benny said, fixing his hat. “He couldn’t stop thinking about the poor son of a bitch trapped on this island and having you lot do God knows what to him.”

Loki grinned slyly. “But, he, of course, didn’t tell you about the massive reward.”

“Didn’t have to. Everyone knows about the reward. I figured if a hunter, a half-blood, and an angel were going to try to take on the island then I’d be crazy not to go along.”

With an annoyed snap, Benny disappeared and replaced by Dean. Dean looked around in confusion before his eyes landed on Loki. A growl erupted from him, and he lunged forward, only to scream out then fall to his knees.

“Nuh-uh,” Loki said, shaking his finger at him. “Bad dog. No treat.”

“You son of a bitch! We’ve been locked up for three days, and you expect me to behave? Well you can take that and shove it up your ass!”

Loki placed a hand on his chest in mock shock. “Such language. Why do you talk like that?”

“To compensate for my feelings of inadequacy and to make myself seem more threatening than I feel that I actually am!” Dean paused as his eyes widened. “I didn’t mean to say that.”

“At least we know this stupid thing is working,” he said, knocking it into the side of the throne. “Back to the trial, tell me, what do you think of your brother?”

“He’s a good kid. You know, sometimes, he has a stubborn streak a mile wide, and he can make some really stupid decisions, but his heart is always in the right place. Sam’s a lot better person than me, I can tell you that much. If anything, I should be on trial, not him. He’s a good kid.”

Sam smiled slightly. “That’s not true,” he said, “I really look up to you, man.”

Loki pretended to gag. “Brotherly love, how sickening. Next witness!”

Snapping his fingers, Dean vanished and Castiel appeared. Loki stared at Castiel in horror as Castiel stared back in shock and pain. Castiel opened his mouth, but Loki snapped his fingers again, sending him away.

“Wait,” Kali said, “bring him back.”

“You want to hear the word of an angel?” Loki asked.

“Your face betrayed you,” she said, grinning smugly. “Finally, Loki. Finally, we can find out what lurks behind your illusions.”

Loki frowned as he snapped his fingers, bringing Castiel back. The two of them stared down each other, Castiel’s eyes narrowing into a glare. Loki glared back, his hand tightening on the horn.

“How do you know him?” Kali asked Castiel.

Castiel nodded his head. “A long time ago, we fought. It became heated, but before we could finish our fight, he slipped away. I thought he was dead. This app wasn’t the case.”

“I see,” Kali said, deflating slightly. “And what of this man, Sam?”

Glancing at Sam, Castiel smiled. “He is my best friend after Dean. I would trust no one else with my life.”

Kali grinned while her gaze turned onto Loki. “It seems that the great and powerful Loki is wrong. I would have brought party favors if I had known.”

“Exes,” Loki said with a sigh. “You have every right to gloat, but do you really have to do it?”

“Give the verdict, Loki.”

Loki pouted. “Fine. This man is not guilty. The prisoners shall be released. Are you happy?”

“No, but it will do for now,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Loki snapped his fingers, and suddenly, Sam was back on the S.S. Andrea out in the middle of the ocean. Sam looked around to see the crew returned, as well. With a shout from Benny, they were back to work, leaving Sam, Dean, and Castiel to stand on the deck.

“So, you knew him?” Sam asked Castiel.

Castiel nodded his head. “But, he wasn’t the pagan god, Loki. He was the archangel, Gabriel. That was his horn, and we had fought once, but it was verbally, not physically.”

“Wait, so that was your brother?” Dean asked. “Why didn’t he try to-?”

“Kill me?” Castiel completed as he leaned on the railing to look out at the water. “Long ago, there was a battle between us and some of the major demons. I felt it, like a part of me had been ripped to shreds. To see him again... It pains me that he tricked us all into thinking that he had died that day.”

Dean placed a hand on Castiel’s shoulder. “Forget him, man. If he wants to be an ass and hang with those douchebags then that’s his problem. You belong here with us.”

Castiel smiled softly. “Thank you, Dean.”

They gazed at the ocean, neither looking at each other as they stood so closely without even realizing their shoulders had begun to touch. Sam smiled at them before he left to give them some privacy, thinking maybe Benny could use some help.


	6. Lucifer

As Sam fell, he couldn’t scream and couldn’t see. He whooshed through the nothingness, sliding along the looping tunnel until it spat him out onto the hard, rocky ground. A crack rang out followed by a groan as Sam’s ankle broke. Still, Sam rose to his feet, limping until he found a wall to support him.

Sam edged forward, feeling every jagged edge of the wall cutting into his palm. He never stopped, though. Shouldering onward, Sam pressed forward as if he was possessed, never faltering as he searched for a way out of the cave in which he had landed.

However, this led him closer to the demons rather than away from them as he came to the mouth of a pit. Demon hoards toiled at the bottom, sparing with each other, looking as if they were preparing for war. Most were dressed from head to toe in armor while others dressed plainly, but they all had blades attacking wooden practice dummies.

Sam held his breath as he shuffled across the cliffs edge. They all seemed too busy practicing for whatever war to notice Sam as he shuffled by them back into the tunnels. Knowing what the light held, Sam stuck to the shadows, hoping that no demons would find him.

Continuing to make his way through the darkened tunnels, Sam stumbled as his foot was throbbing with pain, but he didn’t stop. He continued while gripping to the sharp, rocky wall. The path shifted as he moved downhill, making him move even more carefully as tripping could make his leg unusable.

After hours seemed to have passed, the path began to widen until it opened to a metal wall lit by only two torches lighting it. The metal was twisted and spiked, even more so than the cave wall. Walking closer, Sam could also see off patterns engraved into it.

“Sam,” a voice said. “Sam, I need you. Help me.”

Sam stretched out a hand, transfixed by the voice. His fingers were mere inches away from the rough metal wall when sharp tips poked into his throat. Coming to his senses, he could see a female Demon holding a trident up to his throat. Red, slender horns rose from her long, brown hair. Her eyes were fierce as she glared up at him.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she asked him. “Who sent you?”

“I was lost and injured,” Sam told her. “A voice asked for help, and I- I don’t know.”

The Demon frowned, putting her small body between him and the cage. Seeing her fully, Sam could see that she was wearing mostly leather with a cape billowing out behind her. Attached to the trident was a vial of blood, meaning she was a mage just like him.

“You don’t want to help this one,” she said, trident still raised. “This is Lucifer’s cage.”

Sam’s eyes widened. “Lucifer? You mean the ‘Fallen One’ Lucifer? The Lucifer from legends and all that?”

“The very same. Michael placed him here a long time ago after the mages sealed him in the final battle. Many have tried to open it. It’s my job and a few others to make sure they don’t succeed.”

“Who would want to open it?”

“Practically every Demon in Hell. They view him as a savior. If he were free then the way would be free for Demon kind to take back the world. That’s some demons, though.”

“Not you?”

“Of course not me. Would I be here if I did?”

There was a pause as Sam thought. The demon remained tense, though. Her eyes never left Sam as she watched him carefully.

“So, you’re a reformed Demon,” he concluded.

She tilted her head to the side, lowering her weapon slightly, as she said, “I guess you could call me that, yeah.”

“I’m Sam Winchester.”

“Ruby.” She paused. “Just Ruby.”

“Well, Ruby,” he said with a smile. “It was very nice to meet you, but I have to find a way out of here.”

Ruby snorted. “You won’t find one.”

“What do you mean?”

“Only Angels and Demons can get out of here. Angels can go directly through the storm, and Demons have their own power. Mortals can’t get through, even mages.”

“There has to be a way out.”

“You either have to have wings or possess a serious amount of Darkness to get out of here. It’s why a lot of us are just waiting around for a jailbreak. A lot of us are trapped.”

“I just need a lot of Darkness, right? Demon part not needed?”

“I guess so, but from the looks of you, you don’t have enough power to break through the barrier, let alone the storm. Lost cause, kid. Enjoy your new home in scenic Hell.”

“There has to be a way I can get a lot of Darkness quickly. I can handle it. I won’t become a Demon. I know I won’t.”

“The only way I know of is to feed someone Demon blood, but that’s disgusting, and where are you going to find a Demon willing to do that?”

“What about you?”

Ruby grimaced. “No way.”

“Come on! You said you were waiting for a jailbreak, right? Well, if you give me your blood, I’ll help you get out. You’re a reformed Demon, you don’t belong here.”

Ruby looked at her wrist then at Sam. Closing her eyes, she used her trident to slash herself open before extending her arm to him. Sam gripped onto it but didn’t latch on as he was unsure if should now that he could see the blood gushing from her skin.

“Make it quick,” she said, eyes still closed. “I want to get out of this place.”

Sam licked his lips then pressed them to her lips. The blood tasted metallic against his tongue, and it was hard for him to continue, but he could feel the Darkness flowing into him. He controlled it, though, willing it into submission.

When he finally pulled back, he felt his horns. They had grown a half an inch, not too noticeable thankfully. He blinked, but there wasn’t any shift as some Demons described, so he let out a sigh of relief.

“What now?” he asked.

Shrugging, Ruby said, “I don’t know. I’ve always heard it was a kind of instinct thing. One minute you’re here then you picture you’re somewhere else then boom, there!”

Closing his eyes, Sam gripped onto Ruby. He did what she said. He pictured that he was back in front of the Impala, exactly where they had left it at their room outside the inn.

Sam felt a tug inside his chest. Stumbling slightly, Sam opened his eyes to see that he was outside the inn they had been staying at before Brady had tricked him. He smiled down at Ruby, who smiled back at him. Before he knew what he was doing, the two of them were kissing passionately as if they had known each other their whole lives.


End file.
